I arrive in Buenos Aires, a city that reminds me of Barcelona and Madrid in almost every way. It’s beautiful, very hot, and there actually isn’t all that much to do (unlike the aforementioned Spanish cities). I spend three days there with Tom, a friend I met in Rio. We visit beautiful places, drink at his favourite bar and eat lots of alfajores, an Argentine biscuit. After three days, I decide to get away for a bit and take a ferry to Colonia in Uruguay. This is a lovely colonial town on the other side of the river, only about an hour away from Buenos Aires. On a clear day, you can see both Uruguay and Argentina at the same time from the ferry.
In Colonia, I enjoy the village, the beaches and the peace and quiet. I notice that maybe I wasn’t quite 100% ready for Buenos Aires yet and would have preferred to spend a bit more time in Patagonia. After all, it felt like only yesterday that I was still in Santiago, one of my favourite cities in South America. I keep comparing them, but it’s hard to compete with a city that feels like a second home.Once back in Buenos Aires, I spend more time with Tom and with Fede, another friend from Rio. We cook a lot, chat a lot and relax by the swimming pool at Fede’s hostel. Until the second Sunday, when Frauke, a friend from Belgium, lands in BA.
Frauke’s backpack got lost at the airport, so we spent our first day shopping (what a punishment 😉). On the second day, we visit the tourist attractions of BA and go out in the evening. On the third day, we recover by the pool and wonder if we might escape the city again for a bit. That’s how we come up with the idea of doing a Gaucho experience!A few days later, we take the bus to San Antonio de Areco, where we eat asado, drink delicious Argentine wine, Frauke buys a cowboy hat and we walk over the cobbled streets of the old Gaucho village. On our last morning in San Antonio, horse riding is on the agenda! We get calm horses and, together with the guide and his three border collies—who are more than happy to join the ride—we head out into the countryside. It’s beautiful and my favourite horse-riding experience so far! Feeling very satisfied, we return to Buenos Aires, with our sights set on the next destination: Iguazú!
We spend a total of three days at the waterfalls: two on the Argentine side—one full day exploring the falls, flora and fauna, and another day visiting Paraguay to see what’s going on there—and one day on the Brazilian side. The waterfalls are enormous, and on the Argentine side we also take a boat ride where we get absolutely soaked by the falls. They call it the “Gran Aventura”, and adventurous it certainly was! Those who were prepared wore bikinis; the rest were doomed to walk around in wet clothes for the rest of the day. Everyone was given a large waterproof bag for their belongings. While walking, we spotted toucans, coatis and hundreds of butterflies. It was a day full of adventure!
On the little train back, we spotted toucans again and were so excited that a birdwatcher who happened to be on the same train came over to us after we got off. He told us he had spotted a toucan and set up his large binoculars on a tripod. He pointed them towards the bird, and we saw a stunning toucan with black feathers and a colourful beak. He gave us a sticker from his organisation, which I proudly stuck on my tablet case. I also bought a beautiful patch from the park, which now shines on my backpack. Who would have thought I’d become so obsessed with wildlife spotting?
The next day, we head to Paraguay without really knowing what to expect. Ciudad del Este is known for shopping and scammers, and you can simply walk in over the Friendship Bridge without getting a passport stamp. The streets look a lot like Bangkok, with tall, old apartment blocks, tangled electricity cables and stalls everywhere selling cheap Chinese products. We wander around, joke about, buy some fake sunglasses and other things we need, and grab something to eat. A friend of mine from Mendoza once called it “scammer city” because of all the counterfeit goods. I only make one bad purchase worth €2.50, but I’m very happy with everything else I buy (a new keyboard, hand gel, an umbrella and some earrings). That evening, we return to Brazil, and the next day we visit the waterfalls one last time. On the Brazilian side, the waterfalls are stunning to look at. The viewpoints are incredible, and we’re looking straight at the falls where we were standing above and below just two days earlier. This side is more of a short visit—after two hours, we’ve seen it all. We collect our bags from the lockers and head to the airport, where we do our make-up while boarding our flight to Rio so we’re ready to go out as soon as we land. And of course, we do—because it is and always will be Rio de Janeiro.
Originally, I had planned to take Frauke to Ilhabela, a stunning paradise island off the coast of Rio. But once we arrived, we really didn’t feel like leaving again so soon. Instead, we book an Airbnb and enjoy days at the beach, Brazilian food, and meeting up with another friend of mine, Youandi. We visit Cristo Redentor, a trip I had postponed until Frauke arrived because I knew she’d want to see it too. We had high expectations, but honestly, the statue looks more impressive from afar than up close. It’s very busy and the queues are long. The three of us also take a boat trip in a beautiful bay overlooking Christ the Redeemer, which turns out to be great fun! We sneak onto the upper deck, which is actually off-limits. With our hair blowing in the wind, we sail past rocks, landmarks and the Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The art nerd in me squeals at the sight of the UFO-shaped building—so cool!
After many days of beach, sun and chilling, New Year’s Eve finally arrives. We go to a free party at El Misti, one of my favourite hostels in Ipanema. Afterwards, we all walk together to the beach to watch the fireworks. As every year, Frauke and I get far too sentimental wishing each other a happy new year. The fireworks are beautiful and massive, though they still don’t quite compare to the fireworks madness in the Netherlands. In total, more than two million people were on the beach, and the entire southern part of the city was closed off to ensure safety. Celebrating New Year’s Eve on the beach in a tropical country might just be the best New Year I’ve ever had—it definitely left me wanting more!
That Monday, we visit the famous steps next to the hostel in Centro, where Youandi and I wave Frauke goodbye. She has to return to Belgium to go back to work. Youandi stays a few days longer, and I’ll see her again later in São Paulo. My plan is to head to Búzios on 2 January, a beach town that was recommended to me by some Colombians a few months ago.